Puerto Plata’s Brugal Rum Distillery

Making the most out of your vacation is key! This is why a trip to see one of the Dominican Republic’s chief exports is a must. A tour of the Brugal Rum Factory, located on the outskirts of Puerto Plata, teaches you how to turn sugarcane from golden brown to crystal clear in color, in order to produce the wondrous rum, which is the nectar of the Gods. The tour highlights the history of the Brugal family, and how sugarcane goes from the fields through the distillation process to the glass of rum that sits in front of you today.

Brugal Rum is named after expatriate Andrés Brugal. Andrés Brugal relocated to Puerto Plata in the 19th Century after a quick stint in Cuba where he learned the rum business. The process of distilling has since become automated and is now done in a factory outside of Puerto Plata. Yet it is one of the local icons of the island, a site to see.

Rum is transported to Puerto Plata to age, blend and be bottled. This rum is distilled and blended according to exact standards that ensure a consistent product time and time again. Right next to the sugarcane press, your tour guide will give the history of the first mechanism to extract sugarcane juice in big quantities. It was used 500 years ago and moved by animals like horses, donkeys and oxen. There are different types of Brugal Rum such as light rum and multiple grades of dark rum. Each and every rum is a blend of different aged rums. Every bottle of Brugal Rum has been aged a minimum of one year as the Dominican rum law states. If you are a true connoisseur of rums, the Brugal Rum Factory offers limited and special editions.

Once finished with the tour, spend some time in the sampling room and the gift shop on the grounds. There are many types of rums to sample but if that’s not in the cards, try one of the frozen daiquiris. Although the tours are not long, they give a full history of the Brugal Rum making process and the history of the Brugal family. Factory tours are free of charge and take place Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EST and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.